Control mechanism for liquid-measuring apparatus



Dec. 10, 1929. 7 BA 1,739,477

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR LIQUID MEASURING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 5, 192'? '5 Sheets-Sheet l 2/ 8 E 22] Z 6 7 l 20 x H Y E gnmntozz [#Wlfi E5414,

Dec. 10, 1929. c. F. BALL 71,739,477

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR LIQUID MEASURING APPARATUS Filed 007g. 5. 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 2 C. F. BALL Dec. 10, 1929.

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR LIQUID MEASURING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Shet 5 Filed Oct. 5. 1927 Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES BALL, MILWAUKEE, izv'Is'coNs N, ASSIGNOB. T0 CHAIN BELT COMPANY,

or MILWAUKEE, wIsco sI A CORPORATION or wIsooNsIN CONTROL MECHANISM FOR LIQUID-MEASURING APPARATUS Application filed October 5, 1927. Serial No. 224259.

This invention relates to mechanism that has been devised with special reference to being used 011 concrete mixing apparatus, especially road paver's, for the purpose of controlling the amountof water delivered to the rotating drum for each batch being mixed. In using such machines it is common practice to deliver water from a source of supply to a tank located in the upper part of the machine, from which charges of water are intermittently delivered into the mixing drum, these varying in volume from time to time but each being accurately measured. In operating machines of the character described, it is of the utmost importance from a practical standpoint that the machine be capable. of rapid operation, withoutloss of time between successive mixing operations, and that the parts which must be set or adjusted from time to 2 time be easily accessible to the one controlling the operations of the machine. The water tank as usually located upon a concrete mixer, especially one of large size such as a road paving machine, is not easily accessible, and one of the objects of the invention is to make it possible to adjust and set the mechanism that controls the volume of water discharged from the tank at each emptying thereof from aposition distant from the tank, such position be- 3'() ing preferably in the vicinity of that occupied by the operator controlling the machine.'

lVhile the invention is represented as applied to a concrete paving machine, and has been designed with special reference thereto, I desire it to be understood that it is'not limited in its useful applications to machines of this character, but rat-her may be put to a wide variety of uses and on machines intended for different operations and purposes.-

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is an end View of so much of a road-paving machine as is necessary to illustrate my invention. I

Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview, illustrating the invention, as seen from the side of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view illustratin the water tank and the parts immediateb 0 ly assoclated'therewith.

Fig. 4-. is a transverse sectional view through the Water tank taken on'the axis of the adjustable siphon controlling the flow of liquid from the tank.

Fig. 5 is'a detail plan view of the 1nechanism for operating the valves which control the flow of liquidto and from the tank.

Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in section and enlarged, illustrating the remotely located means for controlling the setting of the siphon within the water tank, and the gage that c0- operates'therewith.

In these, drawings A indicates the mixing drum, Bthe framework of the machine in which the drum is supported,'D the water tank, and J the loading skip, only the spout end of which is shown. r

A discharge pipe E,'of rather large size, leads from the water tank and delivers into the mixing drum,'-thr0ugh the feed opening C thereof. F indicates the water supply pipe through which'the tank is filled. It is preferably ofsmaller size than the flow or discharge pipe E, and connects with the latter above the outlet valve H, which controls "the flow of water to the mixing drum.

The supply pipe F is provided with an inlet valve G, and the water tank with a water gage K, and a check valve L, these being of usual or preferred construction. The valve Loperates to permit a free flow of air as the tank'is being filled and emptied, and serves also to prevent the escape of water as the tank becomes full.

The valves G and H are arranged to be operated simultaneously, but alternately. That is to say, when the valve G is opened, torpermit flow ofwaterto fill the tank, the valve H is closed, and vice versa.

The valves should be arranged to be worked by the one who may be controlling the operations of the, machine from his station, wherever that may be, and I have de visedthe arrangement that I will now describe for effecting these movements.

2 indicates a vertically disposed shaft, supported in a bearing 4 that is attached to the framework of the machine, and provided with an'operating handle 3. At its upper end this shaft is provided with acrank arm 5 thereof. The siphon is provided at its outer end with a circular bearing 25 that fits liquid- -tight into a seat provided therefor :in the elbow piece 13, in which seat the siphon is rotatably supported. The inner end of the siphon is open and is formed into a flattened mouth 26 that is adapted to lie close to the bottom or lower curved inner surface of the tank'when turned to its lowermost position.

It has heretofore usually been customary to arrange the water tank with its axis parallel with the axis of the rotating drum, and to attach the elbow 13 for the water pipe E to the end of the tank. I prefer, however, to locate thet-ank with its axis transverse to the machine, as represented in the drawings, and to make the connection of the elbow 13 with the cylindrical portion of the tank between its ends, as by this arrangement it is possible to more certainly insure that the amount of liquid discharged for any particular setting of the siphon shall be constant whatever maybe the angle of the base upon which the machine, of which the Water tank is a part, may be resting, within the practical range of the varying angles of the surfaces on which a machine such as a concrete mixer shall be operated. t

In order to adjust the siphon 11 from the outside I connect-to it a shaft 12 that extends outwardly through-a suitable bearing 15-pro vided therefor on the elbow 13, and attach to the outer exposed portion of such shaft an operating lever 14. A spring 27, located between the hub of the lever 14 and the bearing 15, operates to hold the flanged end of the siphon against its seat. in the innerface of the elbow 13.

It will be understood'that if the siphon 11 be adjusted to a position with its mouth 26 in its lowermost position and near the bottom of the tank, practically the entire contents of the tank will be drained and delivered to the mixing drum when the outlet valve H is opened; but that if the siphon be adjusted so its mouth 26occupies a'higher position, then the amount of water delivered from the tank at eachv opening of the valve II will be correspondingly less :as the position of themouth of the siphon may be higher, because, as is well known, the delivery of water willcease the moment the open mouth of the siphon becomes uncovered by the liquid, permitting air to enter, whereupon the flow from the tank thorugh the pipe E ceases.

In order that the lever 14 may be moved and the siphon adjusted I have devised the mechanism which I will now describe, by which the movements and adjustments referred to may be made from a distance, as for instance, from the operators stand upon the machine.v

"28 indicates a li'nk'having pivotalconnection at one end,with the arm or lever 14, and at the other end. with screw-threaded rod or shaft 16. A nut 19, at one end of a tubular stem 21, has engagement with the screw 16. The tubular stem of the nut is mounted in a bracket 18 that is supported upon a casing I that covers the counter shaft of the mixing machine, and the outer end of such stem is provided with an operating handle 20. The stem 21 is slotted longitudinally and preferably diametrically as at 22, so that the end of the'screw rod or shaft 16 may be observed through the slots, between the bearings for the stem in the bracket 18.

There are gage markings upon the hollow stem 21, and along edges of the slots 22, these being employed in determining the amount of water that will bedelivered from the tank on the opening of the outlet valve when the end of the screw 16 stands opposite a designated marking. A tie bar 24, extending between the bracket 18 and the elbow 13, is employed to accurately space the siphon-adjusting that has been described in its relation or relative position to the tank. 7

The operation of the mechanism described will now be set forth. The delivery of measured quantities of water to the mixing drum is accomplished in a well-known manner by manipulation of the handle 3,. To determine the amount of water to be delivered to the drum A for each batch of concrete being mixed, the operator adjusts the .siphon to accomplish such water delivery by turning the nut 19, and thus moving the screw rod 16, until its end stands opposite to the gage marking 23 that indicates a volumecorresponding with that which is to be delivered to the drum; this having been accomplished the adjusting mechanism isvleft set until a different amount of water for each charge is desired, or else when difierent conditions of operation are encountered, as for instance when the concrete mixing machine is standing on a base having a different inclination from that which it occupied when the last adjustment was made. It will be readily seen that if the mixing machine be standing on a surface inclining downwardly toward the charging end of the drum, and that the water tank be arranged longitudinally of the machine and with the connectionof the elbow 13 with the drum toward the end thereof more distant from the said charging end, then the amount of water delivered upon Eli each opening of the valve H will be less, for any setting of the syphon, than would be the case were the mixing machine standing on a horizontal base. If the inclination of such base should be opposite to that just referred to, then there would be an increase in the volume of the charges of water delivered for any setting of the siphon. It follows therefore, especially in hilly country, that adjustments and resettings of the siphon 11 are frequently necessary if a constant supply of water is to be maintained at each charging operation. The mechanism I have devised renders it easy to make these readjustments without necessitating the operator leaving his stand or control position upon the machine.

It will be understood that if the attachment of the elbow 13 to the tank D be between its ends, as represented in the drawings, there will be required little and perchance no adjustment of the siphon, due to changes in the grade upon which the machine may be working. The best location for the elbow which I have found is about that indicated in the drawings-that is to say, between the ends of the tank but somewhat nearer one end than the other with the open end 26 of the siphon extending, when adjusted to any position above its lowermost one, toward the transverse central plane of the tank. -By this arrangement there is very little variation in the level at which the siphon is broken, due to change in grade, at any adjustment of the siphon which in practice would be used.

What I claim is: 1. The combination with a tank for containing a body of liquid, a rotatable siphon arranged therein controlling the amount of liquid to be delivered at each operation accordingly as it is set, and means for setting the siphon including a shaft by which the siphon is turned, linkage connected with the shaft and extending to a position of operation distant therefrom, the linkage having a screwthreaded portion, a nut engaging with the screwthreaded portion of the lmkage to move the same and thus set the siphon, and means for operating the nut.

2. The combination with a tank for containing a body of liquid, a rotatable siphon arranged therein controlling the amount of liquid to be delivered at eachoperation accordingly as it is set, and means for setting the siphon including a shaft by which the siphon is turned, linkage connected with the shaft and extending to a position of operation distant therefrom, the linkage having a screwthreaded part, a nut engaging with the screwthreaded part and having a tubular stem into which the screwthreaded part of the linkage extends, the stem being formed to permit the said screwthreaded part to be seen and also provided with a gage opposite to which the screwthreaded part is moved,

- livered therefrom at each operation is controlled, means for setting the said control means extending to a position remote from the tank, such means including a screw and nut and a gage located adjacent to the movable member of said screw and nut, calibrated to indicate the amount of liquid that will be delivered for any particular setting of the said control means.

4. The combination of a cylindrical tank carrying a body of liquid to be intermittently measured and delivered, a siphon located within the tank for controlling the amount of liquid delivered at each operation accordingly as the siphon is set, the open end of the siphon being adjustable to different heights in the arc of a circle, the path of movement of the open end of the siphon being near the longitudinal center of the tank, and means for controlling the setting of the said siphon including a screw and nut located at a distance from the tank and linkage between said screw and nut and the siphon, and a gage located adjacent to the movable member of said screw and nut calibrated to indicate the position of the siphon and the consequent amount of liquid that will be delivered when it is set to any particular position.

CHARLES F. BALL. 

